Ocarina



April 2, 1940. s. A. MAUSOLF OCARINA Filed May 6, 1939 INVENTOR GemgeA.Mausn1fi ATTORNEY \u 3 ed 4 3 4 3 w 3 2 m 3 3 3 Patented Apr. 2, 1940 PATENT OFFICE ocAniNa George A. Mausolf, Waterbury, Conn., assignor to The Waterbury Button Company, Waterbury,

' (lionnqa corporation or Connecticut 9 ,Application May 6, 1939, Serial No. 272,168

-- This invention relates to musical instruments, and more particularly to improvements in =ocarinas.'-"'

One: objector this invention is to provide an improved form of iocarina constructed of two :halves: sealedtogether at their abutting edges rand whichare molded from aplastlc compound, asuoh as Bakelite,-ceilulose'- acetate, etc.

A further-object is to provide an ocarina of no the above-nature: inwhich the mouthpiece is ..;formed entirely oi= plastic compound similar to that -from which the bodyof the ocarina is molded.--- 1 1 A furtherpbject' is to provide an ocarina of the above. nature which will be simple in construction, inexpensive to manufacture, readily manipulated, compact, ornamental in appearance,- and very eflicient anddurable in use.

With these and other objects in view, which 30 will appearas the description proceeds, there have been illustrated in the accompanying draw- ..ing several forms in which-the invention may be conveniently embodied in practice.

I In the drawingaf as l 1 Fig. l is a perspective view of an ocarina embodying" the first, form of-this invention.

is a broken interior plan view of one ofthe molded halves of the first form of ocarina shown in Fig. 1. y mo Fig. 3.is a broken plan view of the other molded half/of the same ocarina, looking at its interior 1, .Fig. ,4: isl'an enlarged longitudinal sectional view .of the. mouthpiece ofthe same, taken on 99,3 the line l -{of Fig. 1-. 1 Y

Fig. 5 is a' transverse sectional view of said mouthpiecc.taken on. the line -5 5 of Fig; 4.

'Figlfi interior-plan view or the mouthpieceendoflamodified.torm of ocarina. mm 7, is a .sectio' alview of the same, taken 1 FigQS is a broken interior plan View of the mouthpiece end of another modified form 'of ocarina.-

45 Fig, 9 jtran sverse sectional view taken on the line 9-9 of Fi 8. .Referring now to the drawing wherein like reference characters designate like 7 parts throughoutthe several views, the numerals III so and II denote thetop and bottom hollow molded halves respectively of theimproved ocarina of this invention. .The tophalf l is provided with a semi-tubular mouthpiece portion 12, and an oval-shaped body portion l3 having a plurality y, instance?eishtimf finger openings 14 and opening l9"bein'g smaller in width adjacent said Opening. 1

Claims. (oi. 84-330) which are adapted to be covered by the fingers of the user's hands. The openings I4 are each surrounded by ribs l5 which are raised from the exterior surface of the body portion l3. The bottom half H is provided with a semi-tubular mouthpiece l6 and an oval-shaped body portion l1, havingtwo openings I8 adapted to be covered by the thumbs of the users hands, and an enlarged outlet'opening IS. The openings I8 are each surrounded by a rib which is raised from the exterior surface of the body portion H. The outlet opening l9 has no raised rib and the outer surface of the body I! is countersunk around 'it. In order to cause the two halves In H to tightly interfit, the outer edges of the curved walls of the body portions I3 and I1 and the side edges of the mouthpieces l2 and iii are formed fiat to permit them to be sealed in tight abutment. A flange 2| is provided on the fiat edge of the top half III, which flange 2| fits within a cooperating groove 2la in the bottom half ll.

The mouthpiece l6 of the bottom half H is provided with a longitudinal groove 22 which extends from the outer end 23 of the mouthpiece Hi to the outlet "opening iii, to cause airblown into the mouthpiece to traverse said outlet opening and produce a musical note, the tone of which may be varied by the covering and uncovering of the various finger and thumb openings l4 and I8, while playing the ocarina in the usual manner. The bottom'24 of the groove 22 is inclined rearwardly and outwardly awayfrom the abutting edges at the outer end 23 between the halves Ill and II, and is preferably slightly concave both longitudinally and transversely. The'sides of the groove 22 also converge slightly from the outer end 23 of the mouthpiece l6 toward the outlet In order to form an enclosed air-blowing passage incoo'peration with the groove 22, provision is made of a tapered longitudinal solid rib 25, which inthis instance is formed integral with the mouthpiece portion l2 of the top half 10. The rib 25 is' made substantially wedgeshaped, increasing gradually in thickness from the outer to the inner ends of the mouthpiece.

" The sides of the rib 25 are adapted to fit snugly in the'sides of the groove 22 (see Fig. 5).

In the modified form of mouthpiece 26 shown in Figs. 6 and 7, the top half 21 is provided with a tapered hollow rib 28 formed integral with the top mouthpiece portion and having an exterior longitudinal slot" 29 formed therein during the molding of said top half 21. The inner narrow end of the hollow rib Z3 is closed by a wall 30. By means of this construction, the forming of the top half 2'! by hot molding is facilitated since the thin walls of the rib 23 permit the rapid and uniform curing of the plastic material being molded. A ftuther advantage of this construction is that it results in a substantial reduction in the weight of the ocarina.

In the modified form of ocarina shown in Figs. 8 and 9, a hollow rib or block Si is provided which is U-shaped and formed separately from either half. The legs of the rib 3| are adapted to fit tightly in a tapered groove 32 formed between a pair of spaced-apart small ribs 33 and 34 formed integral with the top ocarina half 35. The inner ends of the small ribs 33 and 34 are inturned to provide stops 3E and 3? to hold the rib 35 in proper position. In other respects, the rib 3! is similar to the integral solid rib 25 shown in the first form (Figs. 1-5). The interior hollow section 33 of the U-shaped rib 32 is adapted to be closed by end walls and 40, side walls M and 42, and a top wall Among the advantages of the improved ccarina of this invention the facts that it is extremely light in weight; it may be made of colored plastic material requiring no exterior coating of enamel. paint or the like; it has no metallic parts liable to corrode; and it has a smooth. non-chippable outer surface.

While there have been disclosed in this specification several forms in which the n" 'it on may be conveniently embodied in practice, is to be understood that these forms are shown for the purpose of illustration only, that the invention is not to be lim ted to the spec fic d sclosures but may be modified and embodied in various other forms without departing from i s spirit. In short, the invention includes all the modifications and embodiments coming within the scope of the following claims.

Hav ng thus fully described the invention, what is claimed as new and for which it is desired to secure Letters Patent, is:

1. In an ocarina, a pair of interfitted complementary hollow halves, each half having a complementary mouthpiece portion, one Of said mouthpiece portions having longitudinal groove formed therein, and the other mout. piece portion having a longitudinal rib adapted to fit tightly within the sides of said groove and in slightly spaced relation from the opposing wall of said groove to provide an air blowing passage.

2. In an Ocarina, a pair of complementary hollow halves, each half having complementa y mouthpiece portion and a plurality of openings each surrounded by an ext or raised rib, one of said halves havng a ifIlElll'l outlet opening therein, one of said mouthpiece portions huh ing a longitudinal groove therein extending from the end of said portion to said main 0 and the other mouthpiece portion having a longitudinal rib fitting the sides of said groove and spaced from the bottom surface of said groove to form air blowing passage therebetween.

3. In an ocarina, a pair of complementary hollow halves, each half having a complementary mouthpiece portion, one of mouthpiece port-ions having a longitudinal groove therein and the other mouthpiece portion having longitudinal rib adapted to fit tightly within the sides of said groove and to be spaced from the are bottom thereof to form an air blowing passage therebetween, said rib being formed integral with said other mouthpiece portion and having a recess therein extending inwardly thereinto from the outer surface of said other mouthpiece portion.

4. In an Ocarina, a pair of complementary hollow halves, each half having a complementary mouthpiece portion and a plurality of openingseach surrounded by an exterior raised rib, one of said halves having a main outlet opening therein, one of said mouthpiece portions having a longitudinal groove therein extending from the end of said portion to said main opening, and the other mouthpiece portion having a longitudinal rib fitting the sides of said groove and inclined with respect to the bottom surface of said groove to form a tapered converging airblowing passage therebetween.

5.31 an ocarina, a pair of complementary hollow halves, each half having a complementary mouthpiece portion, one of said mouthpiece portions having a longitudinal inclined groove there n, the other mouthpiece portion having a pair of small spaced raised ribs, a hollow inclined U-shaped block tightly fitted between said ribs and sealed to said mouthpiece, said block being spaced from the bottom surface of said groove to form an air-blowing passage.

6. In an Ocarina, a pair of interfitted complementary hollow halves, each half having a complementary mouthpiece portion, one of said mouthpiece portions having a longitudinal groove formed therein, and the other mouthpiece portion having a longitudinal rib adapted to fit tightly within the sides of said groove and in slightly spaced relation from the opposing wall of said groove to provide an air-blowing passa e. said rib being hollow.

1. In an Ocarina, a pair of interfitted complementary hollow halves, each half having a complementary mouthpiece portion, one of said mouthpiece portions having alongitudinal tapered groove formed therein, and the other mouthpiece portion having a longitudinal tapered rib adapted to fit tightly within the sides of said grooveand in slightly spaced relation from the opposing wall of said groove to provide an air-blowing passage.

8.111 an ocarina, a pair of complementary hollow sections, each section having a. complementary mouthpiece portion, a grooved block fitted between said mouthpiece portions, the space between said groove and the adjacent wall of said mouthpiece portion forming an air-blowing passage.

9. In an ocarina, a pair of complementary hollow halves, each half having a complementary mouthpiece portion, one of said mouthpiece portions having a longitudinal inclined groove therein, the other mouthpiece portion having a pair of small spaced raised ribs. an inclined block tightly fitted between said ribs and sealed to said mouthpiece, said block being spaced from the bottom surface of said groove to form an air-blowing passage.

10. In an ocarina, a pair of complementary hollow halves, each half having a complementary mouthpiece portion, a block tightly sealed between said mouthpiece portions, one side of said block being spaced from the surface of the adjacent mouthpiece portion to form an air-blowing passage.

GEORGE A. MAUSOLF. 

